Something We Can Share
by Kentaro Oe
Summary: When Lucy spends an afternoon studying in the library, she gets distracted by the romance section. Natsu arrives later, and she tries to get him interested in reading with her. Then things take a turn when they begin reading a romance novel. Will she be able to spark his interest? [NaLu / One-shot / Before Edolas]


**Story Notes:** Admittedly, this is the first story I've ever written. I still have a lot to learn! Thank you to everyone for the reviews I've received so far! I look forward to each one, and appreciate all comments - both praise and criticism. ^_^

**Formatting Notes**: This was written from Lucy's POV but isn't written in first-person. However, quoted thoughts of the POV character will be in italics and _are_ written in first-person.

**Disclaimer:** (Do we have to do these?) I don't own any of these characters, or Fairy Tail, and it's a good thing I don't, cause other people can write'em better.

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**One-Shot**

Something We Can Share

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The silence of the basement library was the only peace and calm Lucy Heartfilia could ever expect to find. Since joining Fairy Tail, Lucy's days had been filled with non-stop adventure and excitement; a younger version of herself would have found the concept thrilling, but her present older, wiser, and particularly weary self lived for these calm moments the library provided.

Looking around the dusty candlelit room, she found herself drawn into the endless array of tomes she could only vaguely see. Their titles were riddles, and their contents were a promise of so many possibilities. Tonight, however, only one subject actually piqued her curiosity enough to distract her from her astrology studies. Romance... how long had it been since she dusted off that subject? Sure, she had her ample collection of steamy novels at home, but she had never read any of the books here.

Picking up the half-empty and slightly sooty oil lamp from the table, Lucy got up to explore. Holding it up in front of her, she ventured down the "Fiction - Romance" aisle. Not many of the mages in Fairy Tail read for pleasure, so this section was as sparsely populated as the other nonfiction sections in the library. Come to think of it, she wondered if anyone else from Fairy Tail ever visited this place at all. She reviewed the small selection of titles available to her, and eventually found herself drawn to a book titled "_The Fire Inside Her_". _That sounds like a title I can get into._ She grabbed the novel, and walked back to her desk in the center of the cavernous room.

Pushing aside her well-worn and earmarked copy of "_On the Origin of Pisces_", Lucy turned up the lamp's flame a notch and opened the new book. She brushed her fingers over some suggestive embossed illustrations on the inside cover, and a small blush crept onto her cheeks. She was all alone here, so it couldn't hurt to indulge her desires a bit. Her fingers found the corner of the first page and turned.

Thirty-two page turns later, she could no longer contain the yawn she had been suppressing since Chapter Three. Was romance this slow to blossom in real life? Her mind jumped to Natsu, providing the answer she wasn't looking for. She only had energy for a single frustrated groan before her head turned to the side and thumped down on the soft pages. Half a dozen heartbeats later and she was asleep, her exhausted brain taking the escalating romance she had read and creating vivid erotica in her mind.

An unknown amount of time later, Lucy gently awoke to find that the lamp she had relied upon for the majority of her light had burned out. By the looks of it, it had been out for awhile. However, strangely enough, despite the lamp being burned out, she could still see it clearly. Blinking away the the confusion in her head, she turned her eyes slightly to see another lamp burning bright and eager. Another lamp... connected to a lean muscular arm… connected to... Natsu… ?

The butterflies that where happily fluttering in her stomach (or was it lower than that?) instantly became a jolt of electricity shooting up her spine, causing her to sit up straight. In that moment, she became acutely aware that she was not only drooling but that her chest had decided to make its best attempt at escaping her dress while she was unconscious.

"Natsu?! How long have you been standing there?" she asked as she frantically wiped away the remainders of the drool with one hand and adjusted her clothing back to a modest configuration with the other.

Natsu looked at her with a playfully frustrated smile. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Lucy! What're you doing down here in this dark boring place?" He looked around warily. "And all by yourself, too."

Lucy's mind was still filled with fog, and she struggled to remember what she had been doing. The dream she had been enjoying was so clear; the memory of it made her squirm in her seat. "I've been, uh, studying. You may not understand, but it's something you need peace and quiet to do", she said with a more annoyed tone than she intended. She stood up and stretched, working out the stiffness in her limbs. "Why did you come look for me? Is everything alright?"

Natsu's expression dropped slightly, and his eyes shifted to the ground. "Yeah, it's fine. I'm just boooored." His eyes looked back up at her. "I've been waiting for you in your apartment, but you never came home. I found lots of exciting stuff there… What's so exciting about _this _place?"

Lucy swallowed a cry of anger. _He went through my things?! _She wanted to lash out at him, but how could she attack him for the same simple attitude that was also a reason for her attraction to him? He was such an innocent being even when he was guilty as sin.

"I don't come here for _excitement_! But anyway, books can be plenty exciting if you ever bothered to read one."

"Feh." Natsu said, clearly showing what he thought of such things. "Books are for _weirdos_"

Lucy eyes narrowed, and she grabbed the lamp from his hand. "_Weirdos_ are people who go through other peoples' personal stuff when they're not home! I can't have you always hanging around my apartment when you're bored... It's about time you found a way to entertain yourself without going through my things!" _And I need to get my mind off that dream you woke me from._ Grabbing his emptied palm, Lucy dragged Natsu through rows of carefully sorted books.

"Ah, but - Luc- I- !" was all Natsu could manage as he stumbled along behind her.

They eventually marched up to a shelf of smaller books with grand-sounding titles. Judging by the size, these were intended for intermediate readers. "Here we are - adventure! Look at all of these stories, Natsu. There's more excitement here than you could live in a lifetime!" Lucy stood tall, one hand on her hip with a determined grin. She watched Natsu's face for even a hint of interest… _aaaand nothin'_. "Well, go on! Don't just stand there! Pick one." she said, sweeping a gesture across the spines of the novels. "Don't any of these sound interesting at all?"

Natsu glared at the bookcase in front of him. "Of course not! They're just paper…" he reached out and prodded one book with his finger "...and lots of dust. There's nothing interesting about that."

Lucy picked up a book and flogged him with it. "Well, you obviously don't know anything. Just pick one!" she said, glaring at him fiercely.

While he couldn't make out all of the words he saw, he eventually settled on a title he mostly understood. "_The Winds of Chaos_" he recited from the spine of the book.

"Perfect!" Lucy exclaimed, feeling proud of herself. Maybe - just maybe - if she could keep Natsu's interest, she might be able to find an outlet for his constant need for excitement. She grabbed the book off the shelf and dragged Natsu back to where she was sitting before. Placing the lamp where it would fully illuminate the book, she sat down and gestured Natsu into the seat next to her. He gave one last look like he might make for the door... but then sat down. Lucy smiled "OK, let's begin…"

An hour later, Natsu's impatience and complaints with the story finally caused Lucy to put a stop to the reading. "What is it _now, _Natsu? Like I told you before, you have to just go along with the story and enjoy it."

Natsu harrumphed. "I don't like these adventure stories. If I want adventure, I'll go take a Job and _have one_. These are just slow boring stories for boring people who can't make their own fun."

Lucy began to object but knew it was useless. Since when had Natsu ever been swayed by her objections? The feeling of defeat was made obvious on her face. "I'd hoped you'd find this interesting and it'd be something we could share. Y'know, together. I enjoy going on jobs with you and everyone else from Fairy Tail, but I also hoped we could find other things to do. Something that was just… us" She looked down at the book and let out a broken sigh. The book closed with a quiet thud.

Unexpectedly, she felt Natsu's hand on her shoulder. She raised her eyes to see him looking back at her with concern; seeing her hurt obviously made him unhappy. Then one of those smiles spread across his face - the carefree determined smile that she found so endearing. "Let's do it, then! Let's read something you enjoy. I'll sit through it, no problem! Because it's important to you!" '_And because you're important to me_' she wished he'd say.

Natsu pushed aside the boring adventure novel, then his eyes fixed on _The Fire Inside Her_. Picking up the open book, he held it out to her. "Here! I want to read this with you, and I won't complain this time" he said while sitting cross-legged and making a show of pursing his lips. His eyes fixed on her intently.

Lucy accepted the book then froze. Her thoughts began racing as she looked at the floor. He obviously didn't understand what he was asking. Natsu had never been interested in romance, and his interest in such things had never really blossomed like other boys' interests had. But maybe Natsu wasn't really uninterested in such things. Maybe he was just… uneducated. If he knew what he was missing… well, this could be her chance to enlighten him. Besides, it was such a slow-paced romance novel that he'd probably give up on it anyway. So what was the harm in trying?

"Umm… Lucy… You alright?" Natsu said with a concerned look on his face.

Her eyes met his. "OK! You promise you'll listen and not complain, though? This is a… er… different type of story than you're used to, and you'll have to really listen and go along with it."

"I said I would, didn't I?"

"Alright, then" she said as she placed the book back on the table to begin reading. "Remember, _no objections!_ I'll just summarize what I've read so far, so sit tight…"

After getting Natsu up to speed, she began into the unread portions of the book. True to his word, Natsu never complained even when the story talked about things like 'kissing' and 'longful looks'. By chapter 5, the story began to get much steamier, enough so to cause Natsu's first interruption.

"Hey… Lucy? What's that word mean… 'spooning'?" he asked, pronouncing the word awkwardly.

Lucy blushed. "Well, it's a way of…a way two people can hold each other when they're… when they're laying down."

Natsu thought for a second. "Oh! Ok!" He smiled widely. "I've done that before."

Lucy's jaw dropped. "Whaaaat?! You have not!"

"Sure, plenty of times! It's one of Gray's weaknesses…" he said as though he was sharing a secret. "He can never escape my submission holds!" Natsu looked proud of himself, completely unaware of just how off base he was.

"Ugh, that's not spooning! When people spoon, it's because they love each other not because they're _fighting_. And besides, spooning isn't a _submission hold_... it's completely different! It's more like… like a hug… but from behind" she explained as the blush on her cheeks reddened.

Natsu's brow furrowed as he tried to comprehend this. He sat for a few moments, contemplating. Then his hands reached out and grabbed Lucy's shoulders. "I want you to show me" he said, looking straight into her eyes with a dead serious expression.

"Huh?! Show... you...?" Her heart fluttered. _doki doki._ She wasn't sure if Natsu understood what he was wanting. Did he still think it was some sort of wrestling move… or had she sparked an interest in romantic things as she intended?

"O-Ok, Natsu" she managed. "I guess… uh… go ahead and, um… lay down on the floor." _Spooning wasn't anything too serious_. _I'm sure plenty of friends have done that before, and it didn't mean anything._

Natsu nodded seriously, not registering Lucy's discomfort with the subject. He reclined on the ground, then looked up at her expectantly. She laid down in front of him and shuffled her back up close to his chest. Reaching behind her, she grabbed his right arm and brought it around her waist, letting his hand rest on her left hip. "See? Like this. Now just hug me softly" she said, but he squeezed her hard enough to cause the last word to come out as a squeak. "Not so rough! Be gentle…"

Pressed this tightly against him, she could feel his heartbeat against her back and wondered if he was as excited as she was or if his dragon's heart was always so active. "Is this right?" he asked as he slightly loosened his grip. She was only wearing a small spaghetti-strap top, and he his usual vest, so their skin was touching in more places than not. His breath on her neck and exposed back caused her to shiver. She nodded, then closed her eyes and allowed the embrace of his touch and his warmth to become all she felt. Her thoughts returned to the story and the dream and her own desire for him. Moments passed in silence, his breath the only sound. She fantasized his hand venturing lower, his lips touching her neck, his voice confessing a love he had kept hidden.

"… Lucy…" he whispered into her ear. She shivered once more, and a breathless gasp was her only reply to him. "… Lucy…" Her hips lightly gyrated against him. She placed her hand over his, entwining their fingers and gripping tightly. "… Lucy… is… is this all there is to it?"

She suddenly became aware of what she was doing and snapped back to reality. "Ah!" She was burning up and more flustered than she had been in her life. "Umm... yes. Yes… uh… that's all" She cleared her throat. As much as she hated to, she pulled his hand hand away from her torso. The room was spinning and her head was a furnace as she stood up.

Natsu grinned. "I get it now! That is a lot different than the holds I've done… but spooning can be pretty fun, too." His smile widened. "So you've done that with lots of guys?"

"I have not!" she objected as she tried to regain her sense. "Truthfully… that was my first time doing it with anyone…" She felt hurt by his blunt accusation, but she knew that coming from Natsu it was just a simple question. "Let's just resume the story, ok?"

They both got back to their chairs to continue reading. Lucy could hardly concentrate as her mind was still swimming. "OK, where were we…? Ah, here." She began reading on more, and to her surprise what had started off as a tepid slow romance novel quickly got a lot steamier. They had only been reading for a few minutes before she came upon a line that made her pause.

"Hey, why'd you stop?" Natsu asked, looking disgruntled.

"I think that might be a good place to end for tonight." Lucy replied while smiling nervously at him. Though she said that, her eyes continued reading at a frantic pace. She was obviously intrigued by however the story continued.

Natsu was even more annoyed now. "What does it say?" he demanded. She kept on reading silently then turned the page, revealing a full-page illustration of the raunchiest moment of what she had just read. Even more surprisingly, the characters in the book looked strikingly similar to Natsu and herself. She gazed at the drawing for a moment in disbelief, then quickly shut the book… but not before Natsu looked over her shoulder to get a peek of what she was hiding from him.

His hand covered his mouth as he stifled a laugh. "So this is what you like to read! Lucy, I didn't realize you were such a closet pervert!" His laugh escaped suddenly, and Lucy's embarrassment turned into shame.

"Sorry, Natsu. That story… we can stop… I didn't know the book was that sort of thing..."

"It's ok" he said grinning. "You can go on. If this is the sort of thing you want to do together, then I guess I'll just have to be a pervert, too!"

"Stop it with the _pervert_ stuff! I didn't know this book was like that!" She wasn't sure if she should feel insulted or flattered. Natsu had an odd way of making her feel both things at once sometimes. "But are you sure? I know you're not interested in reading these things… especially not with me, of all people…"

Natsu's big goofy grin receded to a smirk. "Yeah, I'm sure! Besides, it's actually pretty interesting! …and I'd rather read it with you than anyone else."

Joy and nervousness overwhelmed her. This is what she wanted, right? She wanted him to become interested in such things… to become interested in _her_. Yet they were such great friends already. This could ruin everything. Or it could unfold like one of her fantasies. On a regular night, she likely would have erred on the side of caution, but tonight she felt different and a bit unlike her usual self.

"Well… OK. But don't say I didn't warn you." she said, and then began reading once more, starting from the bit about spooning. Eventually, she came upon the line that gave her pause before.

"_His hands moved up to cup her… her b-b-breasts. His rough carpenter's p-palms gently massaged her s-s-s-smooth milky skin and his thumb r-rubbed lightly over her n-n-nipple."_

She was having trouble reading this sort of thing out loud. Her voice was breaking, and it felt like she had stashed a pair of coals in her cheeks. She was so concentrated on reading the story and not looking foolish that she had taken her attention off of Natsu. So she hardly saw it coming when he reached out his hand and cupped one of her breasts.

"Eeeeek!" she shrieked, and batted him away. "What are you doing, you idiot?!" she demanded, her arms coming up to cross over her chest and protect it from any further surprise advances.

Natsu blinked as though he was shocked at her response. "I'm just doing what he did in the story. Like with the spooning" he explained. "I think I get it now… they're really soft and warm!"

She couldn't tell if his grin was innocent or lecherous. Lucy had always been self-conscious of the size of her bust and the leering glances it typically got from any regular hot-blooded male. And sometimes she even used it her advantage - '_as is a girl's privilege' _she would justify it. But she had never been more _aware_ of her chest than in that moment.

"I know you're dense, Natsu, but _come on_! You can't just reach out and fondle a girl!"

Natsu looked even more confused now. "But… it was OK in the story."

"They're lovers, Natsu! So that makes it OK. We're friends… you don't do that sort of thing with friends!"

"So why not just be lovers, then?"

"Because…" Lucy began to object but stopped. Normally, she would scold Natsu for being so dense and incapable of understanding the subtleties of interpersonal relationships; of making complex things so simple. _But maybe I'm the one taking something simple and making it complex._ It could be that Natsu was right and becoming lovers was as simple as all that. As simple as just asking. _Let's just be lovers, then._ Lucy turned her head to the side with her arms folded.

"Is that what you want, Natsu?" she asked timidly.

He nodded. "Sure! I don't see why not. I think it'd be fun." His smile was playful, his eyes innocent.

"You say it like it's so simple. What do you think it means to be lovers?"

Natsu's chin rested on the perch made by his fist. "Hrm... well, it's like in the story, isn't it? It's just being friends, except you touch more and stuff." His expression became stern as he thought about it more deeply, obviously not satisfied with his own answer. Finally, he sighed and scratched his head. "I guess I'm not really sure!" he concluded with a sheepish grin.

With a sigh, she uncrossed her arms. Her eyes studied the boy next to her; his lean arms, strong chin, soft pink hair, and overall athletic physique. To look at him, he was everything desirable a boy should be. But his concept of love and romance was still so underdeveloped. Most girls would find it off-putting, however she adored him for it. She was torn; she loved his innocence, even though there was that part of her that wanted to take it from him.

"It's more than that. I think you've gotten the wrong idea from this stupid book" she said while closing it noisily. "It's not just about touching and having fun. It's about a connection of the heart... and a spiritual connection... about a pair of fated souls finding each other, Natsu. It's about affection... and love! It isn't something we just become on a whim!" she explained, worried that she was confusing him entirely.

As usual, he seemed to catch the gist of it, but probably not the entire meaning. However, his carefree attitude finally seemed to be softening, and he was taking the whole thing more seriously. His response was delivered earnestly. "I think we've always had a connection... I don't know about spirits and souls and all that, but I know I like you a lot, Lucy. And I've enjoyed being with you ever since that first day! It can't be just coincidence that we met. That makes it fate... right?"

Lucy had always hoped a moment would come - a moment where Natsu would look at her with tender eyes and say warm beautiful things to her. She hoped for a romance like those out of her stories; hoped Natsu would become her dashing smooth-talking prince. But she knew that Natsu would always be Natsu and that his ways of showing affection likely wouldn't be the suave advances of which she dreamed. She _hoped_, but ultimately realized that this might be the best she could _hope for_ as far as confessions of love were concerned.

Her hand touched his cheek, and he looked a bit surprised. A gentle smile greeted her in return, and she waited a moment expectantly, hoping he would say more. _Just say it... just say you love me, dammit. _She gazed into his eyes. His eyebrows raised, his smile becoming a question. Her heart sighed. _Oh, Natsu. Why do I love you like I do?_

She continued looking into his eyes and spoke softly. "It _was_ fate. I've always felt that... with you..." she managed, her gaze breaking "I-I, ever since we met, I've felt that I... I lik-" Her eyes met his once more, and she shook her head quickly. _No, just say it!_ "I-I love you!" She saw his surprise and pulled him close, pressing her lips tightly against his. Her arms wrapped around him and his around her in response. Their first kiss together was imperfect and clumsy, but it was everything she had wanted. Her heart leaped with joy as she felt his lips melt against her own, his surprise fading and being replaced with hesitant tenderness.

When their kiss finally ended, she laid her head against his shoulder. She was a basketcase of joy, nervousness, and embarrassment, and she couldn't look him in the eye. Pressed this tightly to him, her cheek could feel the pounding of his heart. Was he just surprised? Was he upset? Or did he share all of her emotions?

Still holding her with one arm, his other hand brushed softly through her hair. "I still don't know if I understand being lovers and all that" he said with a tinge of embarrassment. "But I know I like being with you more than anything else." His head turned the side shyly. "I mean, I've never been in love before, so I didn't know what to call it... But I think it must be what I feel for you... must be love."

A tear stained her red-hot cheek, and she reached up and she pulled his lips back to hers. His kiss was warm and inviting, and his hot breath had a tinge of spice like a mulled cider. She pressed against him, her softness against his defined chest, and felt their hearts beating in unison.

She had been teased all night - by stories, by dreams, by Natsu - and she couldn't restrain herself from him any longer.

Her hands rubbed across his chest to his shoulder, then pushed back the sleeve. The vest slid down one arm then the other, and Natsu extended his arm to let it fall to the floor. She had seen him shirtless before, and it's not like his vest really left much to the imagination. But this close to him, seeing him in the candlelight of the library with beads of sweat already forming on the defined muscles of his chest, was seeing him in an entirely new way. She kissed lightly upon his neck and along his collarbone, then gazed up at him happily. He looked down at her and caressed her face lovingly. _Was he always this tall?_

They both stood in the glow of the candles and each took in the sight of the other. Their faces were flushed, and their skin shimmered. Lucy felt a chill pass through her and she cuddled more tightly against Natsu's chest for warmth.

"I-I understand if this is too much. We can stop for now..." she said during the momentary pause. Even in her excitement, Lucy was still shy and a bit unsure of herself. She felt Natsu's nose nuzzle the top of her head and his arms wrapped back around her. A wave of contentment radiated through her along with the exceptional warmth from his body.

"You've always been too much for me" he joked, and she pouted playfully. He smiled at her cute expression. "But I don't want to stop" His lips softly kissed her brow, and she inclined her head to look at him. The adoration in her eyes was obvious and no longer kept concealed. Their lips met once more, their passion unrestrained. They enjoyed the feel and textures of kissing many different ways, trying every configuration and variation they could come up with. After awhile, their breaths became shorter and Lucy's lips tingled with a not-entirely-unpleasant soreness. It was then she got an idea; her tongue probed playfully against Natsu's lips and teeth, and he flinched in surprise. The kiss temporarily broke as she smiled a mischievous grin.

"Oi, Lucy... did you mean to-?" She shut him up with a kiss, and her tongue probed once more. This time he accepted her without interruption, and their tongues rubbed together in his mouth. A moan escaped her as they kissed, her tongue tasting him, the flavor like chocolate and cayenne.

Their kiss ended, and Natsu heard a small click like a plastic snap. Lucy stepped back, pulling her shirt up over her head and tossing it away. She hopped up and sat on the edge of the table, letting her undone bra fall to the floor... along with the book which she accidentally bumped in the process.

The sound of the book hitting the floor reverberated off the ceiling. It was loud enough to distract Natsu, and he looked down to notice that it had fallen open to the page with the large graphic illustration. He only gave it a momentary glance, but it was enough to plant suggestions in his mind. Looking back at Lucy, he admired her half-naked form. He wasn't the kind of guy that undressed girls with his eyes or constantly sexualized them, but he knew what female beauty was when it was in front of him. Sex may not have been his most mastered subject, but he was still a man, after all. And Lucy was quite the girl.

He approached her, and their eyes met, their gazes fixed. She saw wisps of flame dancing across his pupils, and she imagined the fire blazing inside him. His hands reached slowly toward her, and his palms cupped and caressed her breasts. His fingers moved to her nipples and rubbed as his hands pushed against the soft weight, exploring the feel of them conforming to and overflowing his touch. Her head fell back, and a gasp of pleasure escaped her. She closed her eyes, reveling in the flurry of sensation; his hands groping, fingers softly pinching and rubbing, and then a warmth around her areola, a humid breath, a hot wetness sliding over and encircling her nipple, sucking lightly.

Her fingers ran through his soft pink hair, and she called out his name. Every pleasure he was giving her intensified in response, and she watched the long sinewy muscles of his back and shoulders as his hands worked. Her hips squirmed, and her thumbs hooked the elastic bands holding on what was left of her clothes, pushing them down her hip, sliding past the soft mounds of her cheeks.

His heightened senses were dulled from the tunnel vision of his passion, but his ears still picked up the sound of the fabric and his nose the smell of her. His hands moved from her breasts to the naked skin of her lower back, resting on the curve that made up the lower bulb of her hourglass figure. Then they slipped lower, rubbing along the sides of her hips and grabbing the waistband of her skirt, pulling it down as his hands slid along her outer thighs, her knees, her calves. Her legs raised up bringing her feet to eye level as the skirt and panties went past her ankles and ultimately off entirely. Her legs lowered, leaving Natsu standing before her. His face had changed, and he had a wilder and lustier look like what she was used to seeing when he was getting serious in a fight.

Now entirely naked, Lucy felt exposed. Her butt scooted back, and she brought her legs up onto the table, her knees pointed to the side, her calves parallel to the edge. Her shoulders slightly caved which had the unintended affect of pressing her breasts together, amplifying her cleavage.

She looked up into Natsu's eyes. _What am I worried about? This is Natsu. He may be a dragon slayer and unnaturally strong, but he's the gentlest soul I know. ... and now I know he loves me. I know he'd never hurt me. _These thoughts among many other doubts flooded her mind as she sat on the table, but they all faded away when Natsu leaned in and planted a tender kiss upon her cheek. Her head turned to receive the next one upon her lips. The short affectionate kiss ended and she noticed his face, just a moment ago wild and untamed, was now an expression of affection and concern. "Lucy... you alright...?"

She allowed her legs to hang back over the edge of the table, and her shoulders returned to their original posture. "Mm hmm. I'm fine. This is just all new to me, and... I got a bit overwhelmed." Her blush turned more crimson, partly because she felt a guilty for doubting him... but also because she was stark naked in front of the boy she had adored for years.

He just smiled at her, that boyish smile he had given her for years, a smile she now knew was - and had always been - a smile of love for her. She pulled him close and kissed him again deeply, her legs parting. She grabbed around his waist and used his body as leverage to pull herself back to the edge of the table. She reclined back, resting on her elbows, the ends of her long yellow hair brushing against the tabletop.

Natsu stood there momentarily stunned. He had clearly never seen a naked female body before. His eyes studied her up and down, oogling her blatantly. Lucy felt self-conscious with how he was looking at her, and she complained playfully. "Natsu... come on..."

Unsure of what Lucy was beckoning him to do, he went with his instincts. The smell of her sex was an arousing perfume in his nostrils, tempting him toward her. He got to his knees and moved his mouth between her legs. A jolt of excitement went through Lucy. _I didn't mean that! _She had read stories before with such things in it, but they were usually the kinkier stuff. It sounded like it could be amazing, but it wasn't something she expected Natsu to do.

She was about to protest when another sensation went through her, this one euphoric and satisfying, as his hot tongue slipped between her lower lips and timidly ran up the length of her opening. After the initial taste of her, his tongue licked more greedily, focused on the source of the wetness. The french kissing had seemed to have taught his tongue a few tricks; it parted her folds and explored her, brushing the outside, dipping inside. Her hips gyrated, causing his tongue to brush against her clit. She let out a gasp and a whine of pleasure. Natsu noticed the reaction and changed the focus of his affections to the spot that caused her such visible excitement. "Ah! Natsu!" she began, interrupted by a gasp. His licks became faster, and she squirmed uncontrollably from the unrelenting sensation. "Ok, Natsu! Stop! Stop!" He halted, and his eyes looked up at her from below.

"Sorry! Did that hurt?"

_Natsu, you idiot_. "Here. Come here. Stand up." Her commands were short and terse as her flustered brain could not manage more than a few syllables at a time. "Your belt. Undo it."

Natsu followed her commands without question, standing up and undoing his belt. The sides of Lucy's feet pressed against his hips. They found the waist of his pants and pulled it down in a single stroke, exposing him completely to her. His arousal was plain, and his size was intimidating to look at. Her legs wrapped around behind him and pulled him forward. The tip of him sat at her entrance, and she looked up at him lustily, begging him silently. Lucy closed her eyes and felt him enter, sliding in effortlessly, expanding her and she tightened around him in response. Though he filled her completely, her first thought wasn't about his size but instead about how damn _warm_ he was. He slid deeply inside her, and instinct took over from there. His hips pumped out and thrusted in, finding the right pace, and her breasts bounced heavily as his rhythm intensified. His hands were supporting him on both sides of her, his sweat-sheened and solid body the only thing she could see. "Natsu... yes...!" she said lustily, as she wrapped her arms around his neck and arched her back in ecstasy. She barely had time to think about how amazing he felt before her moans and panting began to crescendo. She shivered against him as the orgasm spread like a wave through her body, and she felt him cum inside her as tightened around him. Her hands gripped the sides of his face and she pressed her lips against him tightly as they both succumbed to the waves of pleasure.

A short time later, they were both dressed back into their clothes. The silence was expected, but Lucy still felt uncomfortable not knowing what to say. _Now, the aftermath. _She still wasn't sure if Natsu understood what being lovers meant. He definitely had a crash course in the lov_ing_ part of it, but what about dating? Long walks? Valentines and White Day? Picnics and candlelit dinners? Would she even pursue such things with him? They already had a great friendship; for now, wasn't it enough to just know that he loved her?_  
_

Natsu didn't seem to feel any discomfort. He laid down on the floor, stretching out with a yawn of satisfaction. "So, we're lovers now?" he asked simply, his belt buckle still loose and his hair disheveled.

She smiled a coy smile. "Well, did you like being lovers?" she asked.

Natsu scratched his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "I dunno. Being lovers is fun, but I'm fine with just being your friend, too." He looked up at her and smiled widely. "We can be both, can't we?"

_Gotta love Natsu for making complex things simple._


End file.
